Missouri Sword Laws

A katana on a wall in St. Louis, a longsword in a Kansas City study, a fantasy claymore in a Springfield apartment. Missouri sword laws form a broadly knife-friendly framework, with one of the more permissive carry structures in the Midwest after the 2017 constitutional carry reform. For sword collectors, ownership is unrestricted, open carry is unrestricted, and concealed carry is unrestricted everywhere except 17 specifically listed locations. The complications under Missouri sword laws come from local ordinances and the location-specific provisions in § 571.030.

Missouri sword laws live in Chapter 571 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. The central provisions are RSMo § 571.010 (definitions), § 571.020 (possession, manufacture, transport of certain weapons), § 571.030 (unlawful use of weapons), and § 571.107 (concealed carry restricted locations). The 2012 reform legalized switchblades and the 2017 reform created permitless concealed carry framework. State v. Raff-Covington (2013), State v. Bateman (2017), State v. Dowdy (1986), State v. Rowe (2002), and State v. Meyers (2010) provide the case-law framework. This guide walks through what current Missouri sword laws say.

What do Missouri sword laws actually say?

RSMo § 571.010(12) defines "knife" as "any dagger, dirk, stiletto, or bladed hand instrument that is readily capable of inflicting serious physical injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person." The definition expressly excludes "any ordinary pocketknife with no blade more than four inches in length." The 4-inch threshold is definitional only; folding knives with blades of 4 inches or less qualify as "ordinary pocketknives" and are excluded from the statutory "knife" definition entirely.

RSMo § 571.030(1)(1) prohibits carrying concealed "a knife, a firearm, a blackjack or any other weapon readily capable of lethal use into any area where firearms are restricted under section 571.107." The 2017 amendment narrowed the prior blanket concealed-carry rule to apply only in § 571.107 restricted locations. The result is that concealed carry of a knife (anything outside the ordinary pocketknife category) is now generally lawful in non-restricted locations. Missouri sword laws moved from a permit-based concealed-carry framework to a permitless one for the general population, while keeping location-specific restrictions intact, and Missouri sword laws now run on a fundamentally different default than they did before 2017.

Is it legal to own a sword in Missouri?

Yes. Missouri sword laws do not restrict the ownership of any knife or sword. Katanas, longswords, sabers, machetes, rapiers, kukris, claymores, and fantasy replicas can all be purchased and kept in a private residence without a permit, registration, or background check. There is no blade-length cap, no inventory limit, and no list of generally prohibited sword types at the state level.

Switchblades, automatic knives, butterfly knives, gravity knives, dirks, daggers, stilettos, bowie knives, ballistic knives, throwing stars, and double-edged blades are all legal to own in Missouri. The state's old switchblade restriction was repealed in 2012, and the only remaining commercial limit is the general reference to "switchblade in violation of federal law" under § 571.020. The federal Switchblade Knife Act governs interstate commerce, not in-state possession. Under current Missouri sword laws, ordinary sword ownership is unrestricted statewide.

Does § 571.030 apply to traditional swords?

A traditional sword almost certainly qualifies as a "knife" under § 571.010(12). A katana, longsword, claymore, or saber is a "bladed hand instrument readily capable of inflicting serious physical injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person." A sword is not an ordinary pocketknife with a 4-inch or shorter blade, so the definitional exclusion does not apply. State v. Dowdy (1986) confirmed that even a paring knife can fall within the "knife" definition; State v. Rowe (2002) confirmed that a 6-inch blade in a truck door pocket was concealed despite a partially visible handle.

The post-2017 effect is narrower than the pre-2017 effect. Concealed sword carry on the street, in a vehicle (outside restricted locations), at a dojo, or at a knife show is generally lawful under Missouri sword laws. Concealed sword carry into one of the 17 § 571.107 locations creates exposure to a Class B misdemeanor (potentially a Class D or E felony in certain enhanced categories). CCW permit holders receive broader location-based exemptions under § 571.030(4), making the permit valuable for collectors who frequently transport through restricted areas, and Missouri sword laws treat permit holders as the upper tier of carry rights.

Missouri turned its concealed-carry framework on its head in 2017. The default flipped from "permit required" to "permit useful."

What are the § 571.107 restricted locations?

RSMo § 571.107 lists 17 restricted locations for concealed carry. The list includes:

• Police, sheriff, or highway patrol offices or stations
• Within 25 feet of any polling place on election day
• Adult or juvenile detention or correctional facilities, prisons, jails
• Courthouses, courtrooms, and offices of judges and prosecutors
• Any meeting of the governing body of a political subdivision or General Assembly
• Establishments licensed to dispense intoxicating liquor for on-premises consumption
• Any area of an airport past security screening
• Places where carrying a firearm is prohibited by federal law
• Any private property where carrying is prohibited by the property owner
• Any sports arena or stadium with seating capacity of 5,000 or more
• Any church or other place of religious worship (subject to consent)
• Any private or public hospital or hospital health care facility
• Any university, college, or other institution of higher education
• Public buses and trains
• Casinos and gambling boats

RSMo § 571.030(8) separately makes it unlawful to carry a firearm or "any other weapon readily capable of lethal use" into any church or place of worship, election precincts on election day, or buildings owned or occupied by federal, state, or local government. RSMo § 571.030(10) prohibits the same in schools, school buses, and school-sponsored functions. Both subsections apply to open and concealed carry, so they are not avoidable by simply carrying openly. Missouri sword laws give wide carry latitude outside these locations but treat them as firm restrictions.

What about local ordinances?

Missouri has firearm preemption under RSMo § 21.750 but no knife preemption. Cities and counties retain authority to enact knife ordinances stricter than state law. Ballwin (a St. Louis suburb) restricts knife blades to 2.5 inches in some carry contexts, which is among the most restrictive municipal limits in the country. Various other St. Louis and Kansas City area municipalities maintain their own ordinances.

For sword collectors, the practical guidance under Missouri sword laws is to verify the local ordinance of any city before in-city transport. The State v. Raff-Covington (2013) "discernible by ordinary observation" standard for concealment applies at the state level, but local ordinances may apply different standards or different blade-length thresholds. The combination of permissive state law and patchy local ordinances rewards careful pre-transport research, and Missouri sword laws give no statewide shield against municipal codes.

How should collectors transport swords across Missouri?

Transport in Missouri after the 2017 reform is straightforward. A sword in a hard case in the trunk, a katana in original packaging, a sheathed longsword in the back seat, or a blade openly carried on a belt are all lawful at the state level. The 2017 permitless concealed carry framework means concealed carry inside a vehicle or on the person is also generally lawful in non-restricted locations.

The two practical adjustments for collectors are the 17 § 571.107 restricted locations and the additional § 571.030(8) and (10) categories (schools, school buses, churches, election precincts, government buildings). Avoid the perimeter of K-12 schools and higher education campuses entirely. Verify local ordinances in Ballwin, St. Louis County, Kansas City, and other municipalities before in-city transport. For collectors heading to knife shows, dojos, conventions, or hunting trips outside restricted areas, Missouri sword laws give one of the cleanest state-level frameworks in the Midwest, and Missouri sword laws stay consistent across all 114 counties at the state level.

The bottom line on owning and carrying swords in Missouri

Missouri sword laws sit in the permissive tier of the national spectrum after the 2017 constitutional carry reform. Ownership is unrestricted. Open carry is unrestricted. Concealed carry is generally lawful outside the 17 § 571.107 locations. Schools, churches, election precincts, and government buildings are firm restrictions under § 571.030(8) and (10). The 2012 switchblade legalization and 2017 permitless carry reform together moved Missouri into the friendly tier nationally.

For anyone building a sword collection in Missouri, the practical takeaway is to display at home, transport openly or concealed as preferred, stay clear of the 17 restricted locations under § 571.107 and the additional § 571.030(8) and (10) categories, verify local ordinances before in-city transport, and consider a CCW permit for broader location exemptions. The state framework treats adult collectors with substantial trust and reserves enforcement for the locations that genuinely matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources